Deceptive

Look at this photo, it's mid May, a lovely, sunny, spring evening at Druridge Pools....

Don't be deceived, it was like bloody winter at Druridge tonight! The cold NE wind has swung around into the SE but it hasn't got any warmer, if anything it is colder! There was even a bit of snow/hale/sleet stuff at my office in Alnwick this afternoon.

Despite the cold, it was quite pleasant at Druridge this evening, around the Budge screen there were a handful of passerines feeding and singing including my first whitethroat of the year and this male reed bunting, this species seems to have fared well, despite the prolonged winter.

Reed Bunting

Birds on the Budge fields were going about their business, displaying, incubating and defending...no chicks to report yet.

A very quick look offshore brought a flurry of year ticks, common tern, arctic skua - harassing arctic terns and my first puffin of the year...and only the one. Has anyone else noticed a shortage of puffins this year?

Plant of the day is jack-by-the-hedge or garlic mustard, a true wayside plant and a good edible one too, nice in a cheese and ham sandwich.

Jack-by-the-hedge

This moth, a streamer, was one of only two in the trap on Sunday morning - a stunner though.

Streamer moth

112 common whitethroat
113 common tern
114 arctic skua
115 arctic tern
116 puffin